A good teacher recognises the moment when their role in the process of a student has come to an end. As I narrated in the previous entry of this series, Jonathan Johnson was the one who helped me cultivate the strength and resilience I needed to continue my path in music. He also taught me what I needed to pass my graded music exams. When, soon after, I reached a level with the saxophone beyond what he could work with as a trumpet player, he did one last great thing for me by introducing me to Andy Hamilton (MBE).

Andy opened the door to the world of jazz for me. As one of the biggest names of the genre in Birmingham, if not the biggest, his residence was always brimming with it. He was a fantastic player and amazing teacher with whom I advanced leaps and bounds in terms of tone, chords and improvisation. He was very encouraging and supportive, too. With him, I could overcome the hurdles that appeared on my way when I started gigging.

I was part of Andy’s youth band for a little bit, and I’m also featured in the documentary about his life, called Silver Shine after his first band when he still lived in Jamaica. The documentary used to be available on YouTube, but unfortunately, it was taken down at some point.

Andy passed away in 2012, but his legacy is being preserved by projects he started. These include the record label World Circuit, the community Big Band Notebenders, the Ladywood Community School of Music and the Silvershine Jazz club at Bearwood Corks Social Club. Of course, it also lives on in the souls and music of all his students and colleagues. My self-produced show might be called Not Just Jazz, but I sure play a lot of jazz, and I always remember Andy when I do so!

So many years after I learned from Andy and the other brilliant mentors featured in this series, I’ve now become a teacher as well. I give lessons at all levels. If you’re interested, you can enquire here.